themulhern: Kipling's animal stories are generally more sentimental and often more talky than "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Frequently, humans are very prominent and the animals are in a position of devoted servitude. But the short story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is quick moving and exciting, and the little mongoose who is the protagonist is a very independent character.… (more)

Author Roald Dahl has written another hilarious book, Fantastic Mr. Fox, that young and older readers will adore. Roald Dahl tells the story of three cruel, but entertaining farmers who are seeking revenge against the pesky Mr. Fox who has been stealing their livestock to feed his family. This story will have students cheering on Mr. Fox has he hatches a plan to outwit the farmers. This story is not too long, which keeps readers of all ages engaged. It is also full of rich vocabulary that will leave children and teachers wishing for more. Roald Dahl is a fabulous author, and I recommend that all teachers include this book in their classroom collection of Dahl novels. ( )

I wanted something fun to read and chose this. I couldn't stop till I finished it.

Mr. Fox is up against the three meanest farmers in the area. They are out to get him for stealing and they won't stop till they do! But they aren't aware of how skilled and tricky Mr. Fox is!

The three farmers each try to catch him but have no luck, so they decide to band together. They are not awayr of how sly Mr. Fox is. Not only does he want to save his family, he also wants to help the other forest creatures survive the meanness of the three farmers.

By Mr. Fox's cunning and wit he is able to help his woodland neighbours trick and survive the three farmers.

Told with humour and illustrated by Quentin Blake, this is a fun read for child and adult. ( )

I love how dignified the fox family is, especially in contrast to the stinky farmers. You have to wonder at a certain point when dedication becomes stubbornness. Is it when you have 108 people watching a single foxhole around the clock? Perhaps. I think kids would enjoy the idea of having a secret and pulling a trick on adults who think they are in charge. ( )

Wikipedia in English (1)

In the tradition of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, this is a "garden tale" of farmer versus vermin, or vice versa. The farmers in this case are a vaguely criminal team of three stooges: "Boggis and Bunce and Bean / One fat, one short, one lean. / These horrible crooks / So different in looks / Were nonetheless equally mean." Whatever their prowess as poultry farmers, within these pages their sole objective is the extermination of our hero--the noble, the clever, the Fantastic Mr. Fox. Our loyalties are defined from the start; after all, how could you cheer for a man named Bunce who eats his doughnuts stuffed with mashed goose livers? As one might expect, the farmers in this story come out smelling like ... well, what farmers occasionally do smell like.

This early Roald Dahl adventure is great for reading aloud to three- to seven-year-olds, who will be delighted to hear that Mr. Fox keeps his family one step ahead of the obsessed farmers. When they try to dig him out, he digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, he tunnels to where the farmers least expect him--their own larders! In the end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole community of burrowing creatures live happily ever after. With his usual flourish, Dahl evokes a magical animal world that, as children, we always knew existed, had we only known where or how to look for it. (Great read aloud for any age; written at a 9- to 12-year-old reading level)